As his subordinates successfully broke through the enemy lines under the cover of artillery fire, he became the primary target. He made a mistake; he shouldn't have taken Arceus' Plate with him.
When Pierman led the breakout, he didn't have time to hand over the Plate, and afterward, when facing the swordsman's attack from the Imperial Guard, the Plate he carried unfortunately fell and was seized by the Kingdom's army.
To be precise, they had long been interested in the cloth-wrapped Plate Mandfeish was carrying, which is why they kept attacking that area.
They thought the item Mandfeish carried was not simple, and West Kael V regarded it as a treasure; thus Mandfeish claimed this when besieged here.
The New World has many taboo items, now broadly categorized as Charlotte Linlin's food, Whitebeard's son, Kaidou's business, and possibly in the future, Shanks's favor.
These matters will always incite revenge from pirates, Kaidou included. Ignoring the insignia of the Hundred Beasts Pirates and launching an attack on them is something no Great Pirate would permit.
When West Kael V sought to claim the Plate as a treasure, he had already crossed into Arceus' taboo. Mandfeish deemed West Kael V a dead man, the God of Death's knell already rung for him.
"Kid, I think you're crazy, but it doesn't matter. No matter what happens after, you're dying here today! Master, could I trouble you to kill him?"
"Fool, you think I came here only because I was desperate? This is my perfectly planned escape route!"
Saying this, Mandfeish, under the shocked gaze of those people, leapt directly off the cliff, shortly followed by the sound of a splash.
"Being an ability user, he jumped into the sea... Is he committing suicide?"
Mandfeish's bodily transformations confirmed his identity as an "ability user," so the swordsman did not understand why he chose to jump into the sea, and Mandfeish did not boast, but instead dove deep into the sea toward his ship.
Those on the shore were unaware of this; believing they had settled the matter, the Imperial Guard, led by West Kael V, proceeded to the battleground of the Rebel Army.
At this time, Mandfeish transformed into a Magikarp, lonely swimming in the seabed. About twenty minutes later, he found his ship at the East Coast.
...
"Brother Mandfeish, you're back!" Seeing Mandfeish climb up from the sea drenched, the people on the ship were very excited, as Mandfeish had stayed behind to cover their escape.
"Hmm... What are the casualties?"
"Seven wounded, eleven dead. Pierman suffered some injuries too, but they've been treated." The ship's doctor reported the casualties to Mandfeish.
"But boss, Lord Arceus' item..."
"There was an unexpected situation. That old guy's got some skill, but it doesn't matter. Give me the radio snail; these guys will understand what terror means."
Picking up the radio snail, Mandfeish dialed the contact number for Ghost Island, the radio snail rang only twice before being answered.
"Mandfeish? Weren't you out delivering goods? What happened so late?"
"Big Sis, good news, I found Lord Arceus' Plate!"
Directly contacting Arceus and Kaidou is the privilege of the big boards. Normally, communications with Ghost Island are handled by Queen, but some members of the Arceus Sect directly contact Shaina regarding matters like this Plate.
Upon hearing Mandfeish's report, Shaina's expression changed on Ghost Island; after the transaction with the World Government, they hadn't gotten any information about the Plate for a long time.
"Is the news accurate?"
"Almost certain, the shape is identical, and my attacks left no marks on it. However, there was an unexpected turn... During my breakout, I accidentally let the enemy snatch it..."
"Report directly to Lord Holy Beast, hold on a moment."
Shaina stood and went to Arceus' residence. He built a special pavilion on the rooftop of Ghost Island, and at this time, Arceus was there. Bringing the radio snail, Shaina approached, allowing Arceus to hear Mandfeish's report.
....
"Sorry, Lord Arceus, I'm incompetent, couldn't bring back the item directly."
"It's alright, as long as the people are safe."
The theft of the Plate did not cause Arceus to shift blame to Mandfeish. Mandfeish's capability was evident; given Mandfeish's character, he wouldn't abandon the Plate unless absolutely necessary.
This was aligned with his requirements; it was enough to bring back the message when powerless, do not waste your life.
His Plate was indestructible; merely bringing back information could help find it.
"Lord Arceus..."
"Hehehe, indeed, Mandfeish, don't overthink it. If the enemy is too strong, there's nothing you can do. Just become stronger in the future."
Kaidou's voice also came from the side; Kaidou never blamed his subordinates for failure, though he was somewhat double-standard: if it involved those he valued, it was the opponent being too strong.
If they were merely collaborators, their own weakness caused the failure.
This couldn't attract Kaidou's attention, but Mandfeish as an old hand was already marked by him.
"Governor Kaido? How come you're..."
"What nonsense are you spouting, this is Ghost Island, after all. But those guys ignored my flag and interfered with your withdrawal with the payment, right?"
"Indeed..."
"Kuraigana Island, right, Mandfeish, stay there and keep an eye on those people. Even if they try to escape, you must determine their location for me, understand?"
"Understood!"
After hanging up the call, Kaidou picked up his ever-present Hassaikai.
"You couldn't hold back this time, could you? After all, those guys crossed into your taboo."
"West Kael Kingdom... There's no point in this nation's continued existence."
Yamato, Lunarians, and matters about these could infuriate Arceus, but the Plate was his undeniable Outrage; any coveting over his Plate made them his enemy.
"Hehehe, precisely, this matter is your Outrage, come on, when did we last act together, against John or Wald? It truly is nostalgic."
.....
Somewhere in the New World, Umit was awakened from his sleep by the ringing phone, but he still answered it; only a few knew his private number.
"Hello? Who's calling so late?"
"It's me, Queen. Umit, inform those in shipping: no vessel is allowed near Kuraigana Island, otherwise, they'd be opposing the Hundred Beasts; this is Brother Kaidou's command."